Nancy Pelosi to run for House minority leader

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leader of a Democratic caucus that suffered historic losses in this week's midterm elections, announced Friday she will run to be the House minority leader when Congress reconvenes next year.

In an announcement made on Twitter, Pelosi said she would run for the position because she is "driven by the urgency of creating jobs," as well as protecting President Obama's sweeping health care law, which Congress passed in March.

"Our work is far from finished," she wrote in a letter to colleagues that was released today. "As a result of Tuesday's election, the role of Democrats in the 112th Congress will change, but our commitment to serving the American people will not. We have no intention of allowing our great achievements to be rolled back. It is my hope that we can work in a bipartisan way to create jobs and strengthen the middle class."

The announcement comes days after voters elected more than 60 new Republicans to the House, the largest pickup in an election since 1948. A growing chorus of Democrats has called on Pelosi to step down and let new members run for leadership.

Rep. Larry Kissell, D-N.C. added his voice to that chorus today, telling Politico, "We suffered a devastating defeat on Tuesday in terms of the House of Representatives. In order to become a national party again, we should have new leadership in the next Congress." Reps. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., and Jim Matheson, D-Utah, have also said they will not support their leader.

"Given that there are now 60-plus defeated Democrat House members urgently seeking jobs due to Nancy Pelosi's failed leadership, we welcome her decision to run for House minority leader," Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

But Pelosi remains popular among the liberal wing of the party and with many conservative Democrats tossed out of office their power within the party could grow.

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the strongest, most progressive leaders in Washington," the liberal MoveOn said in a statement. "Some corporate Democrats are taking the wrong lesson — saying that Democrats should be less progressive and more like the Republicans. And they're pushing Speaker Pelosi to step down. This would be a terrible loss for progressives, and for the country."

In a statement, Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., said he will support Pelosi.

"Over the course of my four years in Congress, the vote that I am most proud of is electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House," Yarmuth said in a statement. "Her dedication to advancing policies that improve the lives of all Americans is clearly evident in the significant legislative accomplishments that have been achieved with her as speaker."

Pelosi's decision leaves two prominent Democrats potentially angling for the same leadership spot next year. Both Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina said they are interested in running for minority whip, which will be the second-ranking Democratic position.

"In the days since the election, I have received an outpouring of support from Democratic colleagues who have told me that I should remain in our party's leadership, so that our caucus can hit the ground running with a strong, tested leadership team," Hoyer said a statement. "Over the next several days, I will continue to speak to my colleagues about serving our Caucus as Democratic whip, and I will announce a decision after I have consulted with them."

In a letter to colleagues, Clyburn made his own pitch for the job:

"Throughout the course of my tenure, I have demonstrated the ability and willingness to give selfless service to our caucus," he wrote. " My record of leadership in our Caucus has prepared me well for the challenges ahead. I am confident we can rebuild the coalition that carried Democrats and President Obama into office in 2008 and that it will lead us on the road back to the majority in 2012."

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About Catalina Camia

Catalina Camia leads the OnPolitics online community and has been at USA TODAY since 2005. She has been a reporter or editor covering politics and Congress for two decades, including stints at The Dallas Morning News and Congressional Quarterly. Follow her at @USATOnPolitics.